Background: How long acute mental health needs continue after the disaster are problems which must be addressed in the treatment of victims. The aim of this study is to determine victims’ needs by examining activity data from Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs) in Japan. Methods: Data from four disasters were extracted from the disaster mental health information support system (DMHISS) database, and the transition of the number of consultations and the activity period were examined. Results: Common to all four disasters, the number of consultations increased rapidly from 0–2 days, reaching a peak within about a week. The partial correlation coefficient between the number of days of activity and the maximum number of victims showed significance. The number of victims and days of activity can be used to obtain a regression curve. Conclusions: This is the first report to reveal that mental health needs are the greatest in the hyper-acute stage, and the need for consultation and the duration of needs depends on the number of victims.

This study analyzed the support activities that the Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team (DPAT) in Japan provided following four previous disasters (a volcanic eruption, a mudslide, a flood, and an earthquake) to identify links between the disaster type and the characteristics of acute stage mental disorders observed. Using Disaster Mental Health Information Support System database records of consultations with patients supported by the DPAT during the survey period from 2013 (when DPAT was launched) to 2016, we performed cross-tabulations and investigated significant differences using chi-squared tests. For expected values less than 5, Fisher’s exact test was performed. Frequently occurring acute-stage symptoms after a disaster include anxiety, sleep problems, mood and affect, and physical symptoms. The affected population characteristics, victim attributes, severity of damage sustained, and evacuation status were the chief factors that influenced acute-stage mental health symptoms. The psychiatric symptoms detected in our study together with the results of diagnoses are important for determining the types of early interventions needed during the acute stage of a disaster. By sharing baseline mental health information, together with disaster-related characteristics highlighted in this study, mental health providers are better able to predict future possible mental disorders and symptoms.

Introduction: The Disaster Psychiatric Assistant Team (DPAT) is Japan’s original mental health care dispatched team during disasters. Established in 2013, this team has been involved in the response to many disaster-related mental issues.Aim: We Aimed to evaluate the DPAT activity in response to the past 4 disasters (Ontake volcano, Hiroshima flood, Joso flood, and Kumamoto earthquake), using the disaster mental health information support system (DMHISS).Methods: DMHISS data from the four disasters was extracted. Descriptive statistics were performed from the obtained dataset and the characteristics of the disaster victims from each disaster were compared and examined.Results: About 2,400 cases were obtained and tabulated to from the database. Based on descriptive statistics, the DPAT support objectives, activities and activity periods Aim to establish (1) the characteristics of the affected areas (population composition, psychiatric medical condition), (2) the scale and content of the disaster (the injured, building damage, number of evacuees), and (3) the activity ability. The number of counseling cases peaked several days after the disaster onset, and the importance of the DPAT activity during the acute phase was confirmed. The time course of the consultation number, which is a measure of the termination, could be predicted from the disaster scale and content. These results suggest that DPAT activity may be a guideline for local disasters for one month and for wide-reaching disasters for two months or longer.Discussion: It is suggested that the timing of activity and the termination period could be estimated from factors including the type of disaster, the size of the disaster, and the number of evacuees using the disaster mental health medical activities from four disasters. It should be considered necessary to accumulate data and examine indicators related to the DPAT activity.

Aim: This study characterized Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team (DPAT)‐recorded consultations following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (NPE) by comparing Japan Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (J‐SPEED) records with Disaster Mental Health Information Support System (DMHISS) records from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (KE), with particular attention to population aging, peninsula geography, geographic isolation, and infrastructure disruption. Methods: This descriptive epidemiological study analyzed J‐SPEED data from the NPE (January 2 to May 26, 2024) and DMHISS data for the KE (April 14 to June 30, 2016). Age group, sex, consultation period, and mental health events were compared. Temporal comparisons were restricted to the common 78‐day DPAT activity window. p values for 15 comparable event categories were adjusted using the Holm–Bonferroni method. Results: Consultations were fewer after the NPE ( n = 488) than after the KE ( n = 2,125), but among consultations with recorded age data, the proportion of older adults (65+ years) was higher after the NPE (58.4% vs. 41.4%). Anxiety (42.4%) and insomnia (32.8%) were the most frequent symptoms. After Holm–Bonferroni adjustment, depression, suicidal ideation, flashbacks, anger, excitement, incontinent speech, wandering, and verbal/physical aggression were more frequent after the NPE, whereas somatic symptoms were more frequent after the KE. Consultation timing within 78 days did not differ significantly, and consultations and deployments on or after Day 79 occurred only after the NPE. Conclusion: The NPE was characterized by a higher proportion of older adults and more frequent depression, suicidal ideation, flashbacks, and behavioral problems. Records on or after Day 79 indicate DPAT‐involved consultations in a later post‐disaster phase, although persistent needs and delayed reach of support could not be distinguished.